Method of decorating celluloidlike articles.



I 'R. R. DEBACHER. METHOD OF DECORATING CELLULOIDLIKE ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- 6, 1914. v

Patented June 20, 1916.

METHQD 0F DECORATING CELLULOIDLIKE ARTICLES.

arsenic.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 2d, 1916..

Application filed February 6, 1914. Serial No. 817,049.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT R. DEBACHER,

a citizen of the United States, and resident of Hoboken', in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Method of Decorating Celluloidlike Articles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a'method of decorating celluloid-like articles, such, for instance, as brushes, mirrors and other toilet pieces.

The objects are to provide a. method of this naturein which multicolor effects may be rapidly and clearly obtained'without the necessity of hand work; to provide means for a plying such decorations in a permanent orm which will resist to a high degree removal or abrasions; and finally, to utilize and handle the elements in such manner as to effectively carry out the above mentioned objects.

The manner of carrying out the method is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 represents a lan view of the back of a brush in blank orm. Fig. 2 rep-- resents conventionally the application of a coloring matter to the blank with an air brush. Fig. 3 represents in plan view the article partly completed. Fig. 4 represents in plan view the finished article, and Fig. 5 represents a detailsection showing conventionally the stamping of'one of the colors by means of a press In decorating celluloid-like articles, particularly wherea multicolor effect has been desired, it has heretofore been customary to stamp one color, in its appropriate design, on the article, and then fill in such of the interstices-in the stamped design as were desired to be filled, by hand work.

In carrying out my invention, I first form a ground color, which is desired to appear in the interstices of the design, upon the ar= ticle, and then stamp the second color,'with an appropriate die, overthe ground color. In the best form of my invention, I utilize as a ground color, one which maybe caused to impregnate the surface of the celluloidlike article, and use as the second color, a decorative leaf, such, for instance, as an imitation metal leaf, which preferably has as a prominent element of its composition a celluloid-like ingredient; though genuine metal leaf may be. used.

I will now specifically describe the method of carrying out my invention, assuming the articles shown in Fig. 1 to' be the back of a brush, composed of celluloid. This back is denoted by 1. Upon one surface of the back 1, I place a stencil of the desired configuration, and then apply a suitable coloring matter to. the back 1,

through the interstices of thestencil. This application .is made by means of an air brush 2, which forces a suitable color, such as pyralin enamel, into the surface of the article 1, and thereby produces a ground color, as denoted by 3 in Fig. 3. The stencil may then be removed and the ground color permitted to dry, if necessary. Over this ground color, there is next placed a piece of some suitable decorative leaf, such as, for instance, an imitation gold or silver leaf, "which has as an important ingredient, nitro-cellulose, which nitro-cellulose is also an important constituent of celluloid. A fragment of this leaf is designated in Fig. 3 by the reference numeral 4. After the leaf 4k has been placed over the ground color 3, the article is placed in suitable press 5, wherein the leaf is stamped under conditions of heat and heavy pressure, on to the article, and caused to take the proper configuration by the die 6.

It will be noted that the die 6 is cut so as to leave the desired openings or interstices in the decorative leaf when stamped on the article, so that the ground color will appear through the appropriate openings in accordance with the intention of the designer.

ln Fig. 4, the ground color showing through the openings of the leaf 4-, is denoted by 3, and one of the points where the ground color was omitted, thereby permitting the color of the article itself to show through the decorative leaf, is indicated By reason of the fact that the decorative leaf has an important element, which is the same as an important element of' the celluloid, to wit: nitro-cellulose, the stamping optirely the necessity of hand work for decorating, and obtains a decoration which is practically a part of the article itself, and

therefore will not peel or separate therefrom under any of the conditions of ordinary use. In case genuine metal leaf 1s used, or even in the use of the imitation leaf referred to, l a 'small amount of an adhesive may, if de-- sired, be put upon the ground color before the addition of the leaf.

It will be understood that various changesmay be resorted to in the materials and method of handling them without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention,

and hence I do not intend to be limited to specific details except as they are set forth 'in the claims.

What I claim is:

1. A method of decorating celluloid-likearticles comprising first, impregnating a surface of the article With a color; and, second, stamping a decorative leaf, having an ,im-portant constituent characteristic of celluof celluloid, upon said colored stices of the stencil by means of an air brush; third, removing the "stencil; and, fourth, stamping' a decorative leaf on the colored surface of the article with a die having a different design than the stencil.

4. A- method of, decorating celluloid-like articles witha multicolor effect, comprising, first, placing a stencil on a surface of the article; second, applying a color to the article through the interstices of the stencil; third, removing the stencil, and, fourth, stamping a decorative leaf, having animportant constituent characteristic of celluloid, on the colored surface of the article with a die having a design difierent than the stencil.

-5. A method of decorating celluloid-like articles with a multicolor-effect, comprising,

. first, placing a stencil on a surface of the article; second, impregnating a surface of the article with a color through the interstices of thestencil by means of an air brush; third, removing the stencil; and, fourth, stamping a decorative leaf,-having an important constituent characteristic of celluloid, on the colored surface of the article with a die having a design different than the stencil. 4

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name in presence of two Witnesses, this fourth day of February 1914.

ROBERT R, DEBACHER. Witnesses:

F. GEORGE BARRY, C. S. SUNDGREN. 

